Operating gear of electric switches



April 10, 1928. 1,665,291

A. ALLAN ET AL OPERATING GEAR OF ELECTRIC SWITCHES Filed Jan. 21. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Dre/275 7 r w ck: M v M April 10, 1928. 1,665,291

A. ALLAN ET AL OPERATING GEAR 0F ELECTRIC SWITCHES Filed Jan. 21. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Apr. 10, 1928.

UNITED STATES P AT E NT OF Fl=- E.

ARCHIBALD ALLAN, OF NORTH SHIELDS, AND HENRY WILLIAM OLOTHIER, OF WALLS- ENDrON-TYNE, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOBS TO A. REYROLLE & COMPANY LIMITED, 01 HEBZBURN-ON-TYNE, ENGLAND, A COMPANY OF GREAT BRITAIN.

OPEBATIN G GEAR F ELECTRIC SWITCHES.

Application filed January 21, 1926, Serial No.

This invention relates to the operating gear" of'electric switches and has particular reference to operating gear for the main switch or" switches of'switchgear in which 5 the. main switchis removable" from the'rest of'the. gear. As an example to which the present, invention is particularly applicable maybe mentioned oil break switchgear in which the main oil-break switch with its tank can b'e'removed entirely from the rest oftlie gear and if desired replaced by another similar oil switch and tank.

According tothis invention the plunger rod'or like member of the main switch is operatively connected with arotatable spindle upon which apinion is mounted. Cooperating with this pinion is a second pinion mounted on a spindle carried'in bearings'in afixed frame, such bearings being capable of'adjustment to secureproper engagement between the two pinions.

Conveniently the spindle carrying the-second pinion is mounted eccentrically in a bearing or housing which is rotatable in thefixed frame. Rotation of this spindle to move the plunger rod and open or close the switch is brought about by a handle or any suitable gear and preferably the connection between this gear andthe spindle is through a flexiblecoupling or universal joint.

This flexible couplingqis particularly advantageous when the invention isapplied to the operating gear of two-phase or multiphase switchgear, as. itallows for any slight want of alignmentbetween the spindles of the separate phase main switches.

In one construction'of gear according to this invention as applied to metal-clad oilbreak switchgear in which the main oil- 40 break switch and its tank can, be removed in a vertical direction'from the rest of the gear, the upper end of theplunger rod of the main switch passes through the top plate or cover of the tank into a tubular extension 4 thereofwh'ere it is operatively connected to a spindle mounted in bearings on the extension and furnished with a pinion outside the tubular extension. In the normal operative position of the main switch andiits tank this pinion is immediately below a second pinionmounted on a spindle carried in adjustablebearings in part of the fixed portion of the gear. The bearings are eccentrically mounted in discs forming part of a housing 82,880, and in Great Britain March 20, 1925.

which can be rotated in-the frame-and thus 66 accurate engagement can be produced between thetwo-pinions. The operative connection between the plunger rod and the spindle mounted in the tubular extension maybe-by means ofa rack and pinion inside 00 the extension.

It willbe appreciated that when it is'de sued to remove the-main switch and-its tank, this can be done simply-by lowering them without any interference with the mechanism of the operating gear, the pinion which-is mountedon-the tubular extension of the tank'sirnply being'with'drawn from its engagement with the other pinion.

If desired mechanism may be provided for ensuring that when the main'switch-is ieplaced its pinion and the operating pinion with which it engages shall be in the proper relative positions so that, for instance, the switch itself shall be open and the operating gear in the corresponding position.

In a three-phase switchgear of this description similar operating gear isprovided for all three'main switches and the connection between the adjustable spindle ofth'e centrephase main switch-and the similar spindle on each side of it is through a" flexib'le coupling or universal joint, thus avoiding the necessity for having the three spindles'in exact axial alignment.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a portion ofone construction of electric switchgear according to this invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional elevation taken at right'angle's to'Figure 1, the left-handpon tion being partly in section onthe line 2-2 of that figure and'th'e remainder partly in A section on the line 2;

Figure 3 is aside elevation of a detail of Figure 2f All'the figures are merely diagrammatic details or construction andparts not essen tial 'tothe understandingofthe present invention being omitted.

The figures illustrate by way of example part of'a' three-phase oil-immersedswitchgear having a main oil-break switch A for each phase contained ina tank B which, with the :switch can, when desired, be removed'from the rest of the gear bylow'ering it by means of the gear G and ropes'and pulleys (3 C iii The upper end of the plunger rod D of the switch is attached to a tube D open at its top end and sliding within a tube E which may be regarded as a tubular extension of the top plate B of the switch tank B to which it is attached by means of a housing E This tube E is provided with a cap E and a spring F contained within the tube 1) and presses against the inside of the cap, thus tending to force the plunger rod D downwards to open the switch.

, One side of the tube D is formed as a toothed rack as at D and in engagement with the teeth of this rack is a pinion G mounted on a spindle G in bearings H on the housing E This spindle bears another pinion J beneath and engaging with a pinion K, which may be called the driving pinion, on a shaft K eccentrically mounted in discs K 'whicl1 can be turned in their housings K to secure proper meshin engagement be tween the teeth of the pinions J and K. The housings K are on the walls of a chamber L between two oil-lilied chambers into which pass the upperends of the conductors leading to the main switch A. These chambers may contain intermediate connections or switches, but with these the present invention is not concerned.

The shaft K of each of the main phase switches is joined to its neighbour through flexible couplings M which may be of any known form, and a similar flexible coupling is used to connect all the shafts K to a main operating shaft N which may be rotated by hand, by motor or by any other suitable means to raise the switch rods D and close the switches.

Thus the shafts K can be adjusted by means of the eccentric mountings K to ensure the proper engagement of the pinions J and K, and owing to the flexible couplings M, the shafts can all be easily connected to and driven by the main operating shaft N, the flexible couplings allowing for any slight difference in alignment. 7

When any one of theoil switches A with its tank B and top plate B is lowered, the pinion J leaves the pinion K but returns into operative engagement with it when the switch and its tank are replaced.

In normal operation it is naturally essential that the switch shall be open before it is lowered and as it is being replaced, and any convenient interlocking arrangement may be provided to ensure this.

One simple arrangement is shown merely by way of example in Figures 2 and 3 where the main operating shaft N is shown as provided with a wheel or disc N having a tooth or catch N engaged, when the switches are closed, by a pivoted detent O. This detent is connected by a rod to a trip lever Q one arm of which is in close proximity to the spindle C of the raising and lowering gear G. The handle 0* of this spindle is arranged so that before it can be brought into operative engagement with the spindle it must move the lever so as to withdraw the detent 0 from engagement with the tooth it, thus freeing the operating shaft N which is arranged when released torotate the pinions K into the position which they occupy when the switches are opened.

What we claim as our invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. in electric switchgear of the kind in which the main switch is removable from the rest of the switchgear, the combination of a main switch contact-operating member, a pinion operatively connected to said member and removable with the main switch, a driving pinion adapted to mesh with the first pinion, a shaft for said driving pinion, a. frame or support which does not move when the main switch is removed, bearings for said shaft in said support, means for adjust" ing said hearings to secure proper engage ment between said two pinions, and means for rotating said shaft to open and close the main switch. i

2. In electric oil-break switchgear, th combination of a main switch, a tank for said switch removable with the switch in a vertical direct-ion from the rest of the switch gear, a contact-carrying rod for said main switch, a rack on said rod, a. housing for said rack supported on the tank, a spindle carried in hearings on said housing, a pinion on said spindle in engagement with the rack,

a second pinion mounted on said spindle, a frame or support which does not move when the main switch and its tank are removed, a driving pinion above the second pinion and adapted to mesh with it, a shaft for said driving pinion, hearings in said support in which bearings said shaft is eccentrically mounted, means for partially rotating said hearings to secure proper engagement between said driving and second pinions, and means for rotating said shaft to open and close the main switch.

3. in electric oil-break switchgear, the combination of a main switch, a tank for said switch removable with the switch in a vertical direction from the rest of the switch gear, a contact-carrying rod for said main switch, a rack on said rod, a housing for said rack supported on the tank, a spindle carried in hearings on said housing, a pinion on said spindle in engagement with the rack, a second pinion mounted on said spindle, a frame or support which does not move when the main switch and its tank are removed, a driving pinion above the second pinion, and adapted to mesh with it, a shaft for said driving pinion, bearings in said support in which bearings said shaft is eccentrically mounted, means for partially rotating said bearings to secure proper engagement be tween said driving and second pinions, a interlocking mechanism between said raising rotatable operating shaft for opening and and lowering means and said rotatable oper- 10 closing the main switch, a coupling between ating shaft.

said operating shaft and the shaft carrying In testimony whereof we have signed our the driving pinion, such coupling being names to this specification.

adapted to allow for any want of alignment between said shafts, means for raising and ARCHIBALD ALLAN. lowering the main switch and its tank, and HENRY WILLIAM CLOTHIER. 

